November 14, 2017
If you live in the Lawton area, your home might not be safe. There could be a silent, lurking danger threatening your home — carbon monoxide, otherwise known as CO.
It might seem like when you read a headline about carbon monoxide you think to yourself, “That would never happen in my home.” However, it’s an all too real possibility, especially as the heating season starts to ramp up.
CO Poisoning Causes
Carbon monoxide is a natural byproduct of burning any fuel such as gas or oil. When household appliances that burn fuel are maintained properly, CO levels are typically not of too much concern. If these appliances are not well maintained or are used incorrectly, however, dangerous CO levels can result. This is why it’s essential to make sure your low-level sensing carbon monoxide monitors (not UL Listed carbon monoxide detectors) are working properly by testing them regularly and having your heating system like a furnace or boiler, as well as other combustion appliances like water heaters, stoves, and ovens routinely serviced.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Symptoms
The most severe effect carbon monoxide poisoning can have is ultimately death. However, there are multiple symptoms prior, including:
Nausea
Dizziness
Blurred vision
Severe headache
Chest pain
Real Experiences with Carbon Monoxide in Oklahoma Homes
While it’s easy to think that your home will never be affected by carbon monoxide, here is just one story of a run-in our technicians have recently experienced.
Ray, a Pippin technician, was out for a heating maintenance call. The customer told Ray that his wife had been in and out of the hospital, but the doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her. He also mentioned that they had recently had their roof redone.
Upon hearing this, Ray went straight to the vent pipe and noticed that the roofers unknowingly dislodged the vent pipe from the furnace, leaving both the homeowners and roofers unaware of that had happened. When he got the CO meter to check the home’s levels, they were absolutely off the charts. Instantly, Ray opened all the windows and doors in the home and hooked up the vent pipe correctly. The next day, the customers were already feeling back to normal and called our team to let us know.
Stay Safe with Pippin Brothers
Don’t wait until carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms start showing up in your home. Make sure you’re protected with regular heating maintenance and air quality testing. Our experts are here to keep your living space safe, healthy, and comfortable for you and your family.
